Cyclone Mora damages 137 houses, triggers landslides in Mizoram

Aizawl (ZoramObserver.com): At least 137 houses were damaged by cyclone ‘Mora’ accompanied by heavy showers and gusty winds that hit several parts of Mizoram since Tuesday morning, Mizoram Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department officials said Wednesday.

However, there was no report of human casualty.

Officials said that at least five houses- 2 in Champhai district and one each in Aizawl, Lunglei and Sechhip districts were completely damaged, while 2 houses in Siaha district and 6 in Lunglei district were severely damaged by the cyclone.

Around 124 houses in several places including 60 pucca houses in Champhai district and 33 kutcha houses in south Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district were partially damaged by a gusty wind caused by cyclone Mora, officials said.

Three school buildings in Lunglei district were also severely damaged.

The overnight rains and squally wind continued till Wednesday morning.

Cyclone Mora accompanied by heavy rains and gusty winds also disrupted power and communication network and uprooted many trees and electric poles at several places in the state.

In Siaha, the southernmost tip of Mizoram, the roof of the district hospital was blown away by a violent wind forcing the hospital authority to shift patients to the hospital’s corridor.

Some parts of BCM bungalow at Serkawn in Lunglei were damaged when hit by tree uprooted by strong wind.

Sources also said that the roof of four apartments in Assam Rifles camp in Aizawl was blown away by a strong wind.

Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department officials also said that heavy showers had triggered landslides as around 30 minor landslides occurred at several places.

They said that two houses in Kulikawn area in Aizawl belonging to Laldinpuii and Vanramthianghlima were swept away by landslide on Wednesday morning.

There was no human casualty as the families members managed to escape before the disaster, they said.

Massive landslide also occurred at Tawipui Norht-II in Lunglei district forcing a family to evacuate their house.

Officials also said that a stone quarry between Bunghmun and Tleu villages in Lunglei district was slid down on Wednesday covering 150 meters of a highway.

Though most of the roads have been cleared on Wednesday, a road on the southern outskirts of Aizawl was yet to be reopened, officials also said.

The Mizoram Disaster Management Authority and the Disaster Management and Rehabilitation department had received a warning that cyclone Mora is most likely to lash Mizoram on Tuesday and Wednesday.

People were advised to take precaution as the cyclone could trigger massive landslides and flash floods in the state.

The Cyclone ‘Mora’ made a landfall in Bangladesh on Tuesday killing at least six persons and damaging houses in the neighbouring country.

Co-Editor, Zoramobserver.com. Mr. Khojol is a journalist based in Aizawl, Mizoram. He writes for various national and regional media houses. In his free time, he can be caught reading books and watching movies.